King moves up in Glendale Unified School District

A Glendale Unified educator who began teaching in the district 23 years ago will take on a new leadership post in July as assistant superintendent of educational services.

Kelly King will take the position that was held by John Garcia, who left Glendale Unified in March to become superintendent of the Downey Unified School District.

“There were amazing candidates for this position,” King said. “I’m honored and humbled that I was selected.”

King began her career as a kindergarten teacher at Balboa Elementary in 1990 before becoming a teacher specialist at Glenoaks and Dunsmore elementary schools.

After she became principal of Columbus Elementary in 2001, the school was named a California Distinguished School in 2004 and won state recognition for students’ achievement from 2004 through 2007.

In 2007, King became principal of Edison Elementary. That year, current Glendale school board president Nayiri Nahabedian joined the board. She recalled this week the energy that King brought to Edison back then.

“The teachers around her were very much inspired and energized by her spirit,” Nahabedian said.

Under her leadership at Edison, the school surpassed the state’s target 800 score on standardized exams, became a California Distinguished School and transformed to an advanced-technology magnet.

In recent years, King has overseen the district’s magnet and dual-language immersion programs in addition to the early education programs.

She has also built a reputation for writing multi-million grants to secure funding for the cash-strapped district.

Supt. Dick Sheehan credited King for her extensive work history and ongoing support of local charities.

“She is well deserving of this position, and we are excited to have her as part of our team,” he said.

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Follow Kelly Corrigan on Twitter: @kellymcorrigan.